Wise Parents Know That Fighting A Teenager,

When Gentle Persuasion [of Children] Falls On Deaf Ears, We Resort To Ridicule And Rebuke. Then We Return To Threats And Punishment. This Is The Modus Operandi Of A Mutual Frustration Society.

How Can We Help A Child Change From Undependable To Dependable, From A Mediocre Student To A Capable Student, From Someone Who Won't Amount To Very Much To Someone Who Will Count For Something. The Answer Is At Once Both Simple And Complicated: We Treat A Child As If He Already Is What We Would Like Him To Become.

When Children Feel Understood, Their Loneliness And Hurt Diminish. When Children Are Understood, Their Love For Their Parent Is Deepened. A Parent's Sympathy Serves As Emotional First Aid For Bruised Feelings. When We Genuinely Acknowledge A Child's Plight And Voice Her Disappointment, She Often Gathers The Strength To Face Reality.

Wise Parents Know That Fighting A Teenager, Like Fighting A Riptide, Is Inviting Doom.

Each Of Us Carries Within Himself A Collection Of Instant Insults.